


Remember Me (Or Just Simply Be)

by ProfoundlyInLove



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Small Town, BAMF Castiel, Bad Boy Dean, Bad Decisions, Dark Past, Emotional Baggage, Existential Crisis, Falling In Love, Firefighter Dean, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fusions, Meet the Family, Multi, New Guy in Town, Old-Fashioned, On-Again/Off-Again Relationship, Summer Vacation, Tattooed Dean, Teacher Castiel, Trickster Gabriel, Work In Progress, alcohol use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-18
Updated: 2014-08-13
Packaged: 2018-02-09 10:13:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1978941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProfoundlyInLove/pseuds/ProfoundlyInLove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and Castiel had only been married five years before his husband was lost before his own eyes. Everyday Dean told him the story. How they met, how they fell in and out of love like teenagers. Castiel being the smart and talented teacher in a small town, Dean being the brave and strong firemen from out of town. Twenty two and the world was their oyster. They knew what they wanted in life, their dreams were becoming reality. On a fateful night in Gracefalls, Alabama, the two met for the very first time on the side of a dirt road, one of them being dreadfully drunk and the other simply enjoying the view.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So because of how this story starts, we know the end-end is sad. But I plan on giving them a happy ending, even if it's not permanent. 
> 
> Warnings: On again/Off again relationship (though they never stop loving each other), Alzheimers Disease, possible sexual scenes
> 
> This SHOULD be on a weekly posting schedule.
> 
> EDIT: Biweekly, lifes kickin my ass. Sorry guys

When Castiel was 27 he started to forget. First it was simple things, losing his keys or not getting the milk he was supposed to. As time grew on they became more substantial,  birthdays, names, even where he lived. By thirty-two he was diagnosed with rapid early onset Alzheimer's. But by then it was just a steady and quick decline that broke the hearts of everyone around him. One of the earliest onsets ever recorded.

Dean and Castiel had only been married five years before his husband was lost before his own eyes. Everyday Dean told him the story. How they met, how they fell in and out of love like teenagers. Castiel being the smart and talented teacher in a small town, Dean being the brave and strong firemen from out of town. Twenty two and the world was their oyster. They knew what they wanted in life, their dreams were becoming reality. On a fateful night in Gracefalls, Alabama, the two met for the very first time on the side of a dirt road, one of them being dreadfully drunk and the other simply enjoying the view.

Dating wasn't simple. Their passion fueled explosive fights and lead to years worth of heartbreak. They breakup and make up more than New York socialites. Yet they still walked down the aisle four years later.

But by thirty, Castiel was but a shell of his former self. That never kept Dean from telling Castiel the story every day. Because every so often there were moments of clarity where Castiel was _his_ Cas and that made all this heartache worthwhile.

 


	2. Dirt Road Drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't stick it in Crazy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the beginning of their crazy love story. Hopefully you guys stick around for the ending. Also comments and kudos me everything to me! <3

Moving to Buttfuck Nowhere,  Alabama had been a mistake. Unfortunately it was a mistake that Dean couldn't reverse. His position at the local firehouse was waiting for him thanks to family friend Bobby Singer. Personally he'd been hoping for some big city firehouse in the East, not small town in the south. The station only had one rig and maximum ten firefighters. He could practically walk from one side of town to the other in far under an hour.

So that's why Dean had raided the Dixie Stop for a big ol' bottle of jack and a pack of gum for when he wakes up on the side of the road hung over and late for work. After an hour of aimlessly walking up the road walking (hopefully) towards his carriage house on the plantation where the mayor lives. That's where everyone had told him to go for cheap rent and a good guy. That good guy turned out to be Gabriel Milton, whom was honestly a little batshit crazy. Thankfully below the crazy was actually a decent human being who Dean could see himself being friends with. Though across a small body of water  from Dean's place lived a woman named Ruby. Hot and completely nuts, Dean was half worried that the woman would light his house on fire if he made one wrong move.

Now it was the middle of the night, Dean was lost and pitifully drunk with no way of knowing how to get out of this maze of a town. So he dropped on his ass into the grass beside the road and continued to get plastered. Driving toward him was a beat up pale blue vintage pick up truck that Dean couldn't help but wish he could get his hands on. Beauties like that deserve restoration from the Gods. When it stopped next to where Dean had basically grown root to the ground,  he looked through the passenger window with question.  In the drivers seat was an unbelievably gorgeous man with deep blue eyes and brown hair stick up in every direction as if he'd just returned from his bed buddy's place. Considering the time it was highly possible.

"You alright down there?" He'd asked over the small hum of music from the car. Definitely some Tom Waits in there. Considering it was country music, it wasn't that bad. But country music had its own level of horrible. Dean held his annoyance as he clutched his bottle of jack close to his heart as if he were a bible thumper holding their words of the Lord close to their soul. Dean was admittedly bitter tonight. He'd gone from Mid sized city firefighting hero to small town drunk nobody faster than he'd like to admit. He should have listen to Sam while he could have,

_"Don't sleep with your bosses daughter, your relationships tend to end in a burst of flames."_

__

Then of course he slept with her. Oh Lisa Braeden,  she was a bendy one. Also rather vengeful because the day he broke it off, he was out of a job without any recommendations for him to find a new place to stick it where he shouldn't. Thank God Lawrence's former fire chief had been Uncle Bobby. Unfortunately the only job he could get was in Alabama-- away from everything he knew and everyone and loved. On top of that, being away from his parents graves felt downright lonely. He'd lost them both in a car wreck when he was sixteen and Sam was twelve. Thankfully the foster system treated them unbelievably well, landing the two in the Harvelle household. A single mother with a daughter Dean's age. Ellen practically dropped on her knees thanking whatever is pulling the puppet strings that Dean and Jo worked much better as siblings than lovers.

"I am positively peachy, cowboy." Dean said roughly as he gestured to his beloved bottle. The man rolled his eyes but didn't even attempt to hide his playful smirk.

"I'm certain you're the one who sounds like a cowboy, I'm refined like good wine." The man joked, smiling brightly as he leaned over and pushed the passenger door wide open.

"Why I'd never! My mother taught me the dangers of pretty boys with prettier vehicles." Dean said sounding scandalized before tipping the bottle so that the warmth of the alcohol could fill him up like a balloon ready to burst. Memories of his Mom talking about her and John's dating days, apparently John in his glory days along with the impala was a babe according to his mother.

"Your mother is a smart woman. But I have to say that my  mother taught me to never leave drunk pretty boys out to get eaten by Lucifer." The man said with a heartthrob of a charming smile.

Dean raised a disappointed eyebrow, "Bible thumper?"

The man snorted, "Lucifer is Gabriel's pet alligator."

That left Dean scrambling into the pickup truck without another thought at all. Because if Sam was going to be notified at his stuffy high class university that his brother was dead, well, it better be freaking heroic. "Man eaten alive by alligator because he was too drunk to fight it off. " That's just embarrassing. All Sam's Stanford friends would laugh him right out of the building.

Sam was currently finishing up his freshmen year in California, living with his beautiful and genius girlfriend Jessica Moore, who Dean had met over Spring break this year, since Sam and Jess had spent Christmas with Jessica’s family.Considering that, Dean spent as much time on call as he could. Thankfully he didn’t pie, food, or presents. Just the cooking and horrible Christmas music that Jo blasts through the house from the 20’th to the 30th. Only a few more weeks of school before Sam and Jess come to stay with Dean for the summer, but not before he checks in with Ellen who worries just as much as their own mother would. Whenever people ask about his mother its a toss up between Mary and Ellen. Dean likes to think hes lucky to have had two moms.

"So I hear you're staying at the Mayors along with Ruby Geoffrey's. I do wish you luck with that, because the woman is an absolute menace. I stayed in the carriage house for one day and she managed to blow the generator twice before I learned that was basically her mating call." The man shivered in disgust at the thought.

"Yeah I am for the time being. Someone managed to get me a job in town after my last one blew up in my face," Dean said nonchalantly with as little commitment in his voice as he could possibly manage.

"Well then I hope you know small towns ain't so forgiving," He warned with a wary look on his face that practically screamed 'Get out while you still can!' Though Dean was fairly sure he made that up in his head. The car score to a stop in front of the carriage house, the man smiling warmly at him as he pried the jack from Dean's cold anxious hands.

"Sleep well and drink some water before you snooze. Don't want your needs employer to think you were up late getting drunk, now do you?" He smiled as Dean slid out of the truck, promptly falling out of the mans view and onto his ass but only for a moment.

'Composure, Dean' he thought silently to himself, hoping his face wasn't a deep shade of red. "Right, I'll see you around when I'm not drunk." Dean said with a genuine smile as he stumbled into the comforts of his temporary home. He'd been here two full days but have yet to unpack a thing. So he unzipped his duffel bag and started to hang his countless photo frames that told the story of his life.

His parents, Sam, his foster family, it all had a home in Dean's heart that was simply labeled "Family." And that was all that mattered to him. Halfway through hanging the photos he’d fallen fast asleep leaning against the couch from his seat on the cold hard wood floors, only to wake up sore, hungover, and running late.

Dean rushed through his morning routine, showering and brushing his teeth at the same time to give him more time. Before he knew it he had a pop tart in his mouth as he chucked his laptop into his bag and was out the door with minutes to spare. The firehouse was a five minute walk from home, so driving was an expense he couldn’t spare. Besides, Alabama did have remarkably beautiful weather, so there was no harm in a little vitamin D! Since arriving his skin had turned to a nice warm tan color. At least he wasn’t as pale as Bobby, the man could spare to take that damn hat off.

Today was finally Dean’s first day at the station, starting slow with a twelve hour shift, seven AM to seven PM. He’d pulled much harder shifts, he was much more nervous that he wouldn’t fit in here like he had back home.

The station itself was old fashioned, brick with the tall arch door for the engine. It was rather beautiful to say the least. It must have been here for decades. The tour was quiet and slow, lead by the fire chief Rufus Turner, an old friend of Bobby’s. He showed him where he could sleep, where the food is and where he can spend his downtime. The place was much smaller than back home. Thankfully there were far less people to occupy the smaller space.

When Dean finally grabbed a seat at the long dinner table, he got his laptop out of his bag and turned it while scanning the room. The man on the couch was looking at him peculiarly before speaking up, “Names Ash, and the fine man in the kitchen who’s cookin our grub is Benny. We sit at the cool kids table, so if you want to avoid Michael and Raphael, stick with us.” He said briskly with a thick accent, as if he had molasses running down his throat. Dean nodded with a smile and a slight movement of his hand to prove he wasn’t some creepy guy who didn’t interact with anyone at work.

“Where you from, slick?” Ash asked as he relaxed into the couch as if it were made of luxury pillows. Dean shrugged while opening his email that said he had four new emails. “I came from Lawrence, Kansas. Was there my whole life, so the move is a little nerve wracking.” He said honestly.

“What the hell you here for, then?” Ash snorted. Even the people that live here now that nobody ever ventures this deep into Alabama if they have no good reason.

“I broke up with my old bosses daughter.” Dean chuckled, earning a rumble of laughter from the other two men.

“Alright, kid, I like you.” Ash announced, earning a nod of agreement from Benny, which let Dean relax a little. This place might now be so bad afterall.

**From: Samuel Winchester[lawboy@stanford.edu](mailto:lawboy@stanford.edu)**

**To: Dean Winchester[impaletheimpala@gmail.com](mailto:impaletheimpala@gmail.com)**

**Subject: Are you settling in?**

**Dean,**

**I hope you’re settling in at.. Wait where are you again? All I remember is you said Hicktown, Alabama. Believe it or not, it’s not a real place. So send me your address or atleast corner of the state so I can, you know, actually come this summer? Mere weeks away!**

**Can’t wait to see you,**

**Sam**

**~Samuel Winchester Pre-Law at Stanford University~**

Dean quickly looked up his address before forwarding it to his busy little brother. He personally couldn’t wait for Sam to visit, he hated living so far away from everyone he loved. But they haven’t seen too much of each other due to schedules.

**From: Joanna Beth Harvelle[jo.b.h@KansasU.edu](mailto:jo.b.h@KansasU.edu)**

**To: Dean Winchester[impaletheimpala@gmail.com](mailto:impaletheimpala@gmail.com)**

**Subject: Are they hot enough?**

**Because you know I won’t visit if there arent any babes.**

**kidding. But I hope things are okay in redneck territory. I can’t wait to see you after classes end! Then after I visit you I start the police academy. Isn’t that so exciting?!**

**I’ll be able to legally kick your ass, Winchester. You’re gonna be beat up by your little sister!**

**see ya loser soon**

**Jo**

Jo’s emails always warranted a smile or chuckle, her personality displayed well on paper. Kick ass self assured rockstar. It was something he loved about her. He felt pride swell in his chest, she was graduating with a Criminal Justice degree and was going to start the police academy. Determined to catch the bad guys before reinforcements are ever needed. It sure would make Dean’s life easier. Less idiots on the streets to do idiotic things.

**From: Ellen Harvelle[kickassmomma@theroadhouse.com](mailto:kickassmomma@theroadhouse.com)**

**To: Dean Winchester[impaletheimpala@gmail.com](mailto:impaletheimpala@gmail.com)**

**Subject: Dean Winchester you are in so much trouble**

**Boy, you’re supposed to contact your mother more often than this! I deserve an update, mister! Work, friends, moving in to your new place, these are exciting things that I deserve to know! Now hurry up before I fly down there and force it out of you. I actually know where the hell you are for once. Bobby sends his love, and says that if Rufus gives you trouble to just remind him of poker of 98’**

**much love, Ellen and Bobby.**

**idjit you better take care of that freaking car. B**

Dean sighed, a big smile plastered right across his face that he couldn’t seem to shake, not that he wanted to. He mentally made a note to call Ellen tonight to avoid certain death.

**  
  
  
**

The rest of the day was admittedly slow, so slow that there were no calls or emergencies at all, which was entirely different from home. Dean had spent the day napping, reading, and finding out more about the town through Ash who was a horrible gossip. Benny seemed to be more of a strong and silent type, not that Dean minded. The words he did say spoke volumes, especially compared to Ash droning on about how awesome the computer store girls setup was. Dean barely understood how to use his own ancient laptop let alone state of the art equipment. It simply wasn’t his territory. Cars though, those were his Mozart and Bach. Or in this case Apple and Windows.

When shift finally ended, he couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. He missed the heat licking at their suits, the sweat rolling down his face, the soot sting to his clothes for weeks. That was what made Dean fall in love with the job. Saving people was everything. It was much different than his last job.

When Dean was eighteen he’d enlisted in the army, which would have pissed off his marine father. He’d been shipped off rather quickly, but after eight months of his fifteen month employment due to injuries from the explosion. He’d lost practically all the hearing in his right ear along with a large piece of shrapnel in his thigh which left the biggest scar Dean has ever seen. By the time he was home, he was nineteen and had no idea what to do. That was until he’d found the fire academy. Dean was a full fledged firefighter by twenty, thanks too all his military training.

Dean struggled with his keys for a moment before he was able to get into his apartment. He flicked the lights on before dumping all his stuff on the couch minus his laptop. It took a moment to boot up before he was able to access his email along with a few other programs such as Skype and iTunes. He already had a reply from Sam, and he still needed to respond to Ellen and Jo before they think he’s been eaten by some rare Alabama monster. Little do they know that the monster is an alligator named Lucifer.

**To: Dean Winchester[impaletheimpala@gmail.com](mailto:impaletheimpala@gmail.com)**

**From: Sam Winchester[lawboy@stanford.edu](mailto:lawboy@stanford.edu)**

**Subject: Nowhere Ville**

**Dude. You never said you were actually in the middle of the nowhere. You tend to exaggerate. Well at least you live really close to the coast. Don’t drown, we all know you can’t swim. I still remember you were sitting on a ladder in high school before you fell in the lake. It was terrifying, no one was close to you. That lifeguard nearly had a panic attack!**

**Anyway, how are you settling in? Do you work with good people? You complained about Gordon every damn day back home. I was half convinced you liked him, and half convinced you’d murder him in his sleep.**

**Jess wants you to know she misses you, and so do I! See you soon!**

**Sam**

**~Samuel Winchester Pre-Law at Stanford University~**

Dean couldn’t help but smile, no matter how far away they are from each other, they know each other like the back of their own hand.

**From: Dean Winchester[impaletheimpala@gmail.com](mailto:impaletheimpala@gmail.com)**

**To: Sam Winchester[lawboy@stanford.edu](mailto:lawboy@stanford.edu)**

**Subject: RE; Nowhere Ville**

**Puhleaze, little brother. And don’t go around telling people that story, or it’ll be you in the lake! Also, tell Jess that I can’t wait to see her again, despite your bitch-ness. Oh and that there's still time to choose the better Winchester.**

**To answer your questions, I’m pretty sure I’ve made myself look like an alcoholic, but the guys at work are cool. I mostly talked to two of them though. One calls himself Doctor Badass. When Jo comes, she’s not allowed to meet him. I’m pretty sure it would end in someone crying. Most likely me. But yeah I’m alright. I live on the mayor’s plantation. The guy is nuts but I think he’s pretty alright.**

**I’ll see you real soon man. I’ll even get you guys down to the coast, so bring trunks, asshole.**

**Dean**

The email sent quickly without a hitch at all. Sometimes Outlook has issues, but Dean doesn’t want to learn a whole new setup.

**From: Dean Winchester[impaletheimpala@gmail.com](mailto:impaletheimpala@gmail.com)**

**To: Ellen Harvelle[kickassmomma@theroadhouse.com](mailto:kickassmomma@theroadhouse.com)  **

**Subject: Relaaax Ma**

**I’m alright, relax! The first couple days I was just trying to figure out what the hell I was doing here. Finally I unpacked some stuff all night and then slept at work for a while. Everyone is relatively nice, hopefully I don’t mess this one up.**

**Hey also, I need your help finding a ENT doc hopefully within an hour of this place. I’m supposed to check in. Don’t tell Bobby, he already thinks this is all a bad idea. But I mean I can hear perfectly on my left. They don’t need to know anything.**

**Thanks, Ma. Talk soon, and I’ll see you in September, okay?**

**From, Dean.**

Dean considered his words carefully. He’d never tell the things he tells Sam to Ellen. That would be horrific. She would come down here, a fourteen hour drive no less, and throw out all fun things. Basically high school all over again. He’d come to live with Ellen in sophomore year, and with the stability Ellen provided Dean was finally able to make friends and act like a real teenager. Experimenting with drugs and alcohol, sex, parties, anything you can think of, really. Ellen always knew when Dean was up to no good.

At least he wasn’t the same manwhore, experimenting, nutjob that he was in high school. When he’d come home from his deployment, he was practically a new person. Though the severity has most definitely faded, Dean was still a more stable person. No more partying till three in the morning, or having at least two girls in his bedroom most days, his alcohol use had all but bottomed out. With the exception of the night before, he drinks less than three times a week and never gets so drunk that he can’t find his own house.

Dean was writing when the whole house went dark, the music cut off, his laptop went dark. He knew exactly what happened.

When he got to his porch, across the water he could see Ruby standing in lingerie, swinging around the silk robe tie. Her smirk was devilish, she knew exactly what she wanted and how to get to it.

“Where’s the fuse box?” He shouted, earning himself a snarky eye roll.

“I’ll tell you if you come over to my place and have some fun with me?” She replied, letting her robe slip off her body, leaving her in only red matching lace underwear and bra. Dean could feel his heartbeat race, but if he was going to follow one rule he’d learned as a teenager, it would be ‘Don’t stick is in crazy.’

 **  
**“Looks like I’ll be hanging out in the dark for a while.” He mumbled to himself before reentering his home. Dean could hear her door slamming from all the way across the water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave some feedback! :D


	3. Toast Me, Brother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suck at deadlines and have no excuse, xoxo
> 
> DEANS TATTOOS: http://crohatoandean.tumblr.com/post/94201466559

The first three weeks in Gracefalls were relatively quiet. Wake up by six, shower by a quarter after, breakfast at half past, out the door at a quarter till. Usually after his usual morning routine at the station, Dean is able to grab a quick nap. At nine he forces himself up and out of his cot to be apart of the waking world.

Now it was towards the end of his work day, they’d only had one call that day for a small kitchen fire fiasco. Other than that, the day has been slow and mind numbingly boring. At least Benny’s wife Andrea brought in a feast of to-die-for food that she learned to cook in Louisiana where she’d met Benny. They’d met while they were both working in a diner as college students. After they’d gotten married about fifteen years ago in ‘99, they moved to Gracefalls where Andrea grew up with her parents-- now deceased. Thankfully Andrea gave him a plate to take home, saying that he was ‘too damn skinny for the south.’ Which he’s not sure if that’s a compliment or not.

On his way out of the station and he decided to drop the food off and then make a much needed run to the grocery store because he actually does need some food to sustain himself. Though it doesn’t have to be Sam’s friggin’ rabbit food, thankfully. Though he needs to buy some rabbit food and other things that don’t come from the freezer since they would be boarding their tomorrow. Dean wasn’t sure if what he felt was excitement or terror. They kinda feel the same, to Dean. Ever since he came home a few years ago, the experience threw him through the wringer.

They never saw it coming, and in a way it was a blessing. His squad were moving towards a town when they came across a dead animal. When they got closer, one of them-- Adam, went up to it. Seconds pass before he’s scrambling off the ground screaming “Run, it’s a bomb!” But he never made it through his last word, before the deafening (literally) sound rattled through them, followed by pain, and cries. The heat was indescribable. Even now, after running through fire after fire, nothing compares to it. That heat claimed the lives of his squad, leaving Dean as the only survivor. Which he to this day doesn’t understand. There was no reason that he should live over them. No family waiting at home for him, or lives to go change. And yet he wakes up every morning when they don’t, and goes to sleep every night but they still don’t. That haunts him every hour of his life. The only way he knew how to pay their respects was to bare them on his skin. Over a few days, Dean got a rose tattooed for each person he’s lost on his right arm. The number was eleven roses on his arm, from his arm socket down to his wrist. They were all different sizes, shapes and colors. Around each rose states the persons name and day they died. Along the way he collected many more [tattoos](http://crohatoandean.tumblr.com/post/94201466559), a colt on his left side, a small cross on the back of his neck with his parents names, his whole right side looks like its been slashed and under the skin lies an american flag, the same concept across his heart but instead of the flag, it’s a US army uniform. His left arm and leg look like it’s been completely covered in water color, and his back has a bird cage with a dozen birds flying across his back. Lastly under his right ring finger where he wears his mother’s wedding ring he has the infinity sign.

Dean was nearly positive that the hearing loss was a curse. God punishing him for living while others died. Now he could barely hear at all without the hearing aids stuck in his ears. Thankfully you could barely see them because of their skin tone color, or else he’d be utterly fucked. Lose his job, the respect of others, respect of his family. This was simply a secret he bared alone, with only help with Ellen. At least with family its an excuse to turn music on max.

So honestly it’s far from surprising when someone clapped a hand on his shoulder, looking confused as hell. It happened all the time while he was waiting for the hearing aid. Suddenly he highly regretted taking them out earlier when he showered before leaving the firehouse.

“You alright, Dean? I was callin’ your name there.” Cas said with a concerned smile on his face. His stupidly attractive face.

“Sorry, didn’t hear you.” Dean said regretfully, looking down at his feet. “I’m headed to the computer store, what about you?”

Cas smiled, his hand dropping from Dean’s shoulder. “I’m heading that way, what are you getting there?” Cas asked politely.

“I’m dropping off my computer, the color is going to crap on the screen. Hopefully they can open it up and fix it.” Dean shrugged, he could barely stop the frown from spreading on my face.

“Well you’re heading to the right place, Charlie is a genius. She went to Carnegie Mellon, came back here and set up shop. She could have done anything, but she’s perfectly content here, as far as I know.

“Good thing for me, then.” Dean chuckled, he could feel the heat on the back of his neck, and it definitely wasn’t from the Alabama heat. Benny had been warning him the in the next coming days there was a predicted heat wave, and that during Grace Fall heat waves, people get a little liberal with their decision making.

“Yeah,” Cas chucked, “Yeah I suppose it is. I’ll see you later, then.” He smiled before walking away towards the auto garage across the street. Dean almost stopped and asked for his number. He also almost made an utter fool out of himself, and considering gossip travels faster than sound and light in the town, that was something he couldn’t risk.

When he entered the computer store, he stopped dead in his tracks. The place was a nerd heaven, and Dean was the nerd. Harry Potter posters, playing the Led Zeppelin on the speaker, computers that must be spaceships because he’s never seen anything like them. Hanging on the wall was an original costume from Star treks, made for Jim Kirk. Dean may have orgasmed just a little right then. He barely noticed the knockout redhead come in to the place behind the counter.

“It’s quite a site, ain’t it city boy.” She laughed.

Dean’s eyebrow shot up in question, “City boy? What do you mean by that?” His Kansas accent wasn’t exactly thick but it was thick enough that it was obvious that he never really was in the city.

“Whoa, the voice doesn’t match your mannerisms, sorry that’s my bad. What can I do to help you?” She asked, signaling to Dean’s bag where the laptop was. He handed it over to her, “I could have it done by tomorrow afternoon, that okay?” Dean nodded in agreement.

“Before I go.. What do you mean by the mannerisms?” He asked, stumped.

“City guys usually act stiff and proper, good posture and shit, like you have. You know? Wait… Military! That’s it, you were in the military!” She exclaimed, making Dean jump out of his skin for half a second.

“Is it that obvious?” He winced, not wanting the world to know. Knowledge means questions.

“No, I’ve just got a radar for that kind of thing. My brother is in the marines, he’s over there right now.” She said sadly.

“Really? I was over there for eight months, I came home early from a fifteen month tour when I was nineteen. I’ve discharged since then, though.” Dean said kindly, earning a huge smile from Charlie.

“The closest I’ve come to warfare is Call of Duty,” She chuckled.

“Do you wanna join me and a couple guys for beers tonight? I think it’d be fun. We’re breaking in my new house, I signed the papers today, so all it had is appliances. Thankfully family is coming soon, which means free labour.” Dean chuckled.

“You bought the Talbot home? Damn, that place was gorgeous.” Charlie said with a whistle.

“How the hell does a fireman afford that?” ‘Compensation for being blown up and all my friends die around me, and deader than a doornail parents’ he thought to himself, but since he couldn’t exactly say that, he just shrugged.

“It’s a long story. See you tonight, Charlie.” Dean chuckled, letting himself out with a ring of the door chime.

****  


The kitchen was large and spacious. Unfortunately it usually went unused and forgotten because of Dean’s hectic schedule. Though the fridge contained plenty of leftovers either from Andrea or takeout. Tonight, his oven and counters were in use, with cutting boards and pots ‘n’ pans. Currently he was chopping up peppers for a stir fry. Andrea was beside him manning the rice and chicken. It was best to leave most of the work to her.

Andrea slyly scooped up the peppers and tossed them in with the rest, before plating the food. People gathered around Dean’s small table, Andrea leaned into Benny and Ash was sneaking peeks at his phone under the table with Charlie’s encouragement.

Dean raised his bottle of beer, “This is a shitty toast, but I just wanna say thank you everything. Helping me unpack, and just being there. Thanks,” He said, his face flushed and warm.

“Absolutely, brother.” Benny said, clinking his bottle with Dean’s, Ash following immediately. “It’s not a problem, Deano.” He laughed. All the tension melted away, leaving them to enjoy their dinner in peace.

 


End file.
